The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-11-20
Ar STANDING mock AGENCY
Scenes at the Issue OF Annuities and nj m
Indtan Dance.

issue OF annuties was made to the Indians OF
the reservation. Tho Indians received their
articles In room about thirty feet square,
surrounded on three sides by counters piled
high with annuity goods. Along the other side
OF tho room were the desks Of the clerks, In
spector. Indian agent, &c. When reached
the building there was string OF Indians
pressing against the door like a lot OF theatre
goers at the box office on q first night. II was
only by actually taking hold OF and pushing
some Of the evl-smelling fellows aside that 1
was able to reach the door at alL
When entered blanket full OF various ar
ticles was being dragged out OF the opposite
door. With me had entered an Indian to re-
ceive his issue. As soon as he entered a blanket
was spread on the floor, and glib-tongued
young clerk began to rattle of the list OF things
that the Indian and his family wore to receive.
In a moment the air was literally thick with
articles Trousers, pals, caps, shawls, blankets,
stockings. tin plates and cups woven wire mat
tresses. butter knives, boxes Of axle grease.
woollen scarfs, mittens. axes canvas. needles.
thread, and cotton shirts, all rained down In
the most bountiful manner upon the blanket
which was then gathered Mt tho four corners
and dragged to the door, where its new owner
While ali Of the Indians receive certain arti-
in civilization and have been most subordinate
during the past year are specially favored. and
s tha So a p the Us
Indians from their savage habits to those OF
civilization. The principal articles are, always
issued In the early winter. in order that the
Indians may bo as comfortable as possible
during that cold season. Other things. such
as % 5 Mben ssy aFe
needed to help the Indians in their agriculture.
Some Of the Indians accept civilized customs
issue saw spring mattresses used to soften
the ioltipgs Of their wagons. and axle grease
as
The issue OF annuities signifies to the Indians
that winter has really come, and Immediately
warmer months wandering about the prairies
come in and camp in a great village about u
danF the ntoase Cold Winter in
canvas tents, or tepees. These are made cir
cular, and are left open at the top to allow tho
always kept burning In the centre of the
earthen floor. In order to protect themselves
bS the o yass S bISsd s ks
overgrown with dwarf willows, In addition to
this. two or three families pitch their tents to:
6rus6wood around them to break the force Of
the Wind The lover edge OF the tent is piled
ter in one Of these tepees, on account OF the
cold as we'll as on account Of tho smoke with
burning. The squaws perform oil, Of tho
manual labor and l havo seen old, bent.
ones trHdEing throEgh
Some Of the Indians have built themselves
stoves. This transition from. the ,tepee, to the
house is one Of tho hardest for the Indians TO
frbs this y rSsss the
Nearly all OF the Indians own ponies and
great many own oxen. AS soon as tho first
sleighs OF the Indians own construction. The
sleighs are made entirely 9f wood: deity
9Foofb BINS
the coolest weather. tho Indians, ponies and
oxen are turned loose to provide for them.
sort OF thing. ana paw the snow from the
ground and manage, to find enough grass to
tss Wth What willow tops
and wild rose bushes they are able to find.
They suffer greatly from the cold. and In tho
with raw hairless patches as large rs n mans
hand from tho effects OF frost bites received
:, / had long been wanting to see an Indian
snow dance when i one , SATURDAY., after the
one about four miles from tho post. 1t was n
clear, cold winter night. with the mercury
The members Of our little party were soon
snugly nesting in the straw nj the bottom Of
Government, sleigh. and we were travelling
toward the dance as fast as four good mules
could draw u.s.
The dance was held in q low log house. about
a ais at the door around which were gath
cred cred quite CROWD OF unnsited spee,aat9Ebs
a9Sh an %as no
lighted by two kerosene lamps. We entered
during a lull in the festivities. In one end of
wall, were thirty-ilve or forty suuaws, dressed
In their usual calico dresses and wooilen
the male guests each with his blanket or sheet
drawn over him. In one corner OF the bucks
end OF the room was tom-tom. or Indian
drum around which were seated lust rs many
old bucks as could crowd into the little circle.
Neqr the middle OF the room at tho sGuaws,'
with musicians. Near these was small stove.
in which a wrinklod old buck was keeping up
fire by feeding it with twiss. We ranged our
gave no Indication Of il by look or word.
around the tom-toms began to beat them with
measured cadence, at the same time accompa-
syE hs sSuP sy threw M his ys sse sn
quickly followed BY the others, and in = mo-
Consisted oi a series Of horrible con;
y hs 0 BODY a nGs shrRs asd
the cadence, of the drums. Imagine my sur
extreme cold OF the night these men were al
most entirely naked. most of them wearing no
clOtnlnR u WOOlcu Dfpecu clOtn anu u DalF
OF beaded mOccasins. They We're painted in
the most striking manner from head to foot.
Each had a headdress or bonnet of colored buff
falo hair. with fringe OF eagle feathers running
down tho back. Brass bracelets and anklets
and strings OF beads also adorned many of
them. The description of tho decorations OF
one. Of them will serve for all. L., addition
to the adornments above mentioned, he
running from his ankle to q strap passed
around tho leg at the knee. At the small of his
back. and attached to his girdle. was an i'm
mense bunch OF long. colored buffalo hair. His
face was painted saffron yellow, with u large
red spot on either check, and horizontal red
lines running across tho forehead. His eye
brows and the edges of the lids were painted a
dazzling white. His body was rcd, md his
arms and legs were light blue. with occa-
dshcd a toma hawk, highly ornamented with
colored horse hair and norcupine quilts, and
his appearance was truly hdeous as he twisted
himself into almost impossible positions and
gave his blood-curdling yell. After the dancing
had been going on for ten or tlitecn minutes
the tom-toms ceased. and he retired to his
place by tho wall and covered his steaming
body with q cotton sheet. He had probably
walked mile through the snow with the Their
mometer %, below zero, with only that cotton
sheet to protect him from the cold have seen
squaws walking through tho snow in bare ioet
and carrying their moccasins and stockings In
their hands. Each dance was terminated 10y